Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan

Media Release

BUDGET INFRA 15/2014

13 May 2014

Joint release with:

Jamie Briggs

Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development

The Abbott Government is delivering on its Economic Action Strategy to build a stronger and more prosperous economy with an unprecedented $3.5 billion Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan funded in the Budget.

The 10 year programme will transform the Western Sydney economy and make it an even better place to live and do business.

It will include $2.9 billion for road transport upgrades to service Sydney's second airport to be developed at Badgerys Creek.

Building road infrastructure to support Badgerys Creek will not just benefit airport users, but residents throughout Western Sydney. It will relieve pressure on existing infrastructure and unlock the economic capacity of the region by easing congestion, slashing travel times and creating thousands of local jobs.

The Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan will deliver significant upgrades to major and local roads including:

upgrading The Northern Road to a minimum of four lanes from Narellan to the M4 Motorway;

constructing a new four-lane motorway between the M7 Motorway and The Northern Road;

upgrading Bringelly Road to a minimum of four lanes from Camden Valley Way to The Northern Road;

improving interchanges that connect The Northern Road and the new motorway with arterial roads; and

a $200 million local roads package.

The first contracts for Bringelly Road are expected to be put to tender in July with construction expected to begin before the end of the year.

The road upgrades will increase the capacity of the region to handle future traffic growth; improve accessibility to the M7 and M4 motorways and significantly reduce travel times.

These projects will create around 4,000 jobs during construction while development of Sydney's second airport is expected to create 35,000 jobs by 2035, increasing to 60,000 jobs over time.

Although the Western Sydney airport will not be fully operational for a decade, planning for the new airport will start immediately and construction is expected to start in 2016. It is envisaged that most of the cost of the airport will be met by a private sector operator.

Over the next 20 years, the region's population is expected to grow from two million to three million people. Western Sydney is already Australia's third largest economy and, in its own right, would be our fourth largest city.

The Abbott Government is delivering on its election commitment to support the people of Western Sydney during a time of significant regional growth.

This is a major long-term infrastructure plan that will be a catalyst for investment, jobs growth and tourism in the region for decades to come.